Kai Havertz says he was surprised when he was reunited with former Chelsea team-mate Raheem Sterling at Arsenal.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
The 23-year-old has often been cast as a laughing stock at Chelsea but delivered two goals and an assist here to shut up his critics.
Chelsea ruthlessly ripped a lackluster West Ham to shreds on Saturday as Nicolas Jackson scored twice and claimed an assist in a commanding 3-0 win that moves the Blues, if only temporarily, into second in the table.
The Hammers, it must be said, were way off the pace and Chelsea smelt blood. Jackson duly took his tally to four for the season inside a dreadful opening 18 minutes for the hosts – first escaping clear on the left channel and slotting through Alphonse Areola's legs before he again raced through and slid the ball home with the outside of his right foot.
It didn't get much better for an exasperated Julen Lopetegui in the second half, with his side conceding within minutes of the restart – Cole Palmer this time doing the damage as he expertly fired into the far corner of the net.
The three-goal cushion allowed Enzo Maresca to make some early changes as he attempts to keep a somewhat bloated squad of players content with their playing time but there was no way back for West Ham here, with the Blues maintaining their perfect away record at the start of the season.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from the London Stadium…
Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence
Robert Sanchez (7/10):
One or two nervy moments aside, Sanchez dealt comfortably with what West Ham had to sling at him and will be delighted with the seven saves made and a clean sheet.
Wesley Fofana (6/10):
Solid enough at right-back but perhaps fortunate that VAR let him off after a clear pull on Summerville's arm in the box in the first half. Hooked after 56 minutes.
Tosin Adarabioyo (7/10):
Could be the start of a really solid partnership alongside Colwill. Admittedly West Ham offered little as an attacking threat but he was assured at the back.
Levi Colwill (8/10):
Another commanding performance at the back by Colwill, who won everything in the air and didn't put a foot wrong over the entire 90. His place in that back four is secure.
Marc Cucurella (7/10):
A tough assignment up against the dangerous Kudus but dealt with him well, with the Ghanaian's afternoon summed up when the Euro 2024 winner smashed into him like a wrecking ball midway through the second half.
AdvertisementAFPMidfield
Moises Caicedo (9/10):
Crunching tackles, piercing through balls… this is the all-action Caicedo that Chelsea fans have been patiently waiting to see. One of the best players on the pitch today.
Enzo Fernandez (7/10):
Popped the ball about nicely over the 90 minutes and did his defensive work too. Taken off late on with the game already wrapped up.
Getty Images SportAttack
Noni Madueke (6/10):
Got in behind on a couple of occasions but it didn't quite happen for him today and his starting place could well be under threat.
Cole Palmer (8/10):
After an uncharacteristically quiet first half, Chelsea's main main arrived at the party early on in the second 45, escaping on the counter-attack and finding the corner with a deadly finish. Looked a bit perplexed to then be taken off just after the hour mark.
Jadon Sancho (7/10):
Showed fleeting moments of how dangerous he can be in and around the box and will be happy to have claimed another assist. Hooked after 56 minutes but it's been a decent start to his Chelsea career.
Nicolas Jackson (9/10):
Outstanding. He's not had it easy at Chelsea but he truly flourished here, banging in a couple of goals inside 18 minutes with two lethal finishes before grabbing an assist for the third. Only Erling Haaland has more goals since May.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
AFPSubs & Manager
Axel Disasi (6/10):
With Chelsea dominant, he settled in perfectly fine at the back after coming on in the second half.
Pedro Neto (6/10):
Didn't really impact the game too much when he came on for Sancho but did produce a game-high 14 passes in the final third.
Christopher Nkunku (6/10):
Looked desperate to make an impact after being brought on just after the hour mark and probably should've done better with a header from close range.
Joao Felix (5/10):
Will be annoyed not to have scored having had two presentable chances fall his way. He won't be getting in ahead of Jackson anytime soon.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (N/A):
Brought on for the final few minutes.
Enzo Maresca (8/10):
Emphatic. Picking a starting XI is by no means an easy job when you're Chelsea manager these days but the Italian got it bang on today. West Ham were clearly there for the taking, but his side brutally exposed their opponent's weaknesses and seemed to want it far more than the Hammers.
MatériaMais Notícias
Apto para estrear no Corinthians, o meia Giuliano, primeiro reforço do clube na temporada, está ansioso para atuar já no próximo domingo (8), no clássico contra o Santos, na Vila Belmiro, pela 15ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, às 16h.
Apresentado oficialmente nesta quarta-feira (4), o atleta vestirá a camisa 11 e afirma que poderá atuar até mesmo durante os 90 minutos contra o Peixe.
– Tô ansioso. Faz três meses que não jogo. Tô evoluindo a parte física. Tô à disposição. Minha vontade é estrear domingo. Ainda não conversei com o Sylvinho. A minha vontade é de estar no jogo. Se não para iniciar, jogar 10, 15, 35 minutos. Quero ser útil para a equipe do Corinthians – disse o jogador.
>> Baixe o app do LANCE! e simule os próximos jogos
>> Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansReforços para a defesa? Corinthians vê setor bem servido mesmo após saídas; entendaCorinthians04/08/2021CorinthiansApós folga, Corinthians inicia nesta quarta-feira a preparação para clássico diante do SantosCorinthians03/08/2021
Giuliano e Sylvinho se conhecem ‘de outros carnavais’. A dupla trabalhou junta na Seleção Brasileira, em 2018, quando à época o atual treinador corintiano fazia parte da comissão técnica de Tite.
– Já trabalhei com ele (Sylvinho) na Seleção. Sei o que ele entende como jogo, como trabalha.
já trabahei com ele na seleção, o que ele entende coo jogo, como trabalha, s equiser contar comigo no doi9ingo estou a disposiç~çao, pra cinco mi8nuitos, 10, 45 ou jogo todo. Se tiver condições de star eu gostaria
Sem atuar desde abril, quando realizou a sua última partida pelo Istambul Basaksehir, da Turquia, clube que ele defendia antes de chegar ao Timão, Giuliano se sente bem fisicamente, mas é cauteloso ao falar sobre estar 100% em condições de jogo.
– Me sinto bem fisicamente. Estou ganhando ritmo de treino, mas é muito diferente de jogo, 90 minutos, condição normal. É muito subjetivo quanto o corpo vai aguentar. Eu me sinto bem, mas quando for para uma situação específica sentirei como está realmente. Não consigo dizer quantos jogos. É uma questão de jogar. Prefiro progredir e evoluir. O fato de não jogar no meio de semana, dá mais tempo de treinamento. Estou adquirindo esse ritmo, mas preciso de algum tempo para estar 100%. Não sei quantos jogos, mas preciso de tempo para isso.
Registrado no BID, Giuliano já treina com bola há duas semanas é presença praticamente certa entre os relacionados no Clássico Alvinegro deste fim de semana.
After an extensive search, USA have finalised a two-year deal with J Arunkumar as head coach of their men’s national team. Arunkumar, 45, is a former Karnataka captain, with a strong body of work in the Indian domestic circuit.He replaces interim coach James Pamment, who was appointed in October 2019 after USA Cricket chose not to renew contracts of their support staff in the likes of former India players Kiran More, Sunil Joshi and Pravin Amre along with David Saker, the former Australia bowling coach.”I’m delighted to say we’ve reached an agreement that he will take up the role and be permanently based in USA when his working visa will be obtained,” USA Cricket CEO Ian Higgins said in a statement. “The Covid-19 crisis has presented some challenges around the scope of the role in the short and medium term, but we look forward to completing the arrangements and welcoming him more formally in due course.”Arunkumar had initiated talks with USA Cricket in February by applying for the role of head coach through their website. He was offered the job within a week of the interview.In March, he flew down to Texas to oversee a 10-day training camp of the national team, “just to get a feel of the system and set-up”, according to Arunkumar, before extensive lockdown restrictions were imposed around the world due to Covid-19. He also held discussions with the players – both senior and Under-19s – and officials to create a road map for the team once cricket resumes.With travel bans still in place, Arunkumar has been interacting with the support staff and players through video calls.”I’ve set up training modules for the players, so we meet once a day and discuss,” Arunkumar told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s important to be in touch with the players. The trainers have given them a workout chart, and we monitor them from time to time. I’m also getting to know the players at an individual level since I’ve just come into the set-up.”Arunkumar scored 7208 first-class runs in a career spanning over 15 years, before becoming a coach in 2012. Success came early, with Karnataka clinching all three titles on the Indian domestic circuit – the Ranji Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Irani Cup – for two seasons in a row: 2013-14 and 2014-15.Arunkumar also has IPL coaching experience, having worked as assistant to Virender Sehwag at Kings XI Punjab. In the domestic circuit, he’s worked with Hyderabad and Puducherry, apart from Karnataka.
Two months ago, New Zealand left Sydney chastened by their 3-0 Test defeat after having gone across with high expectations only to suffer injury, illness and drubbings. Now they are back for this awkwardly-placed late-season ODI series and another chance to improve on a poor record when crossing the Tasman.It has generally not been a pretty picture when New Zealand have gone to Australia. Before the recent Test series, there was an ODI thrashing in 2016 (along with a one-off T20I) which followed a 2-0 Test loss in 2015 and the heavy World Cup final defeat earlier that year. Their last victory in any format in Australia was the 2011 Test win in Hobart.They have never won an ODI series, although they came close in the 2008-09 Chappell-Hadlee Series, when it was shared 2-2 after rained prevented a result in the decider at the Gabba with New Zealand pushing for a win. One of their most impressive runs against the home side came in the 2001-02 tri-series when they dominated Australia in the group matches before falling to South Africa in the finals.ALSO READ: Middle-order make-up among Australia’s key questionsSo there has, barring the occasional success, been a severe block for New Zealand visiting Australia regardless of how strong their side has been on paper. And this current ODI squad is very good; they have recently beaten India and the majority of the players were at the World Cup last year (when they also lost to Australia). Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, who both suffered injuries during the Test series, are back while Kyle Jamieson will be looking to build on his impressive start against India.”We had a pretty good series against India, Test matches and one-dayers, so coming in here the guys seem in good form and excited,” Martin Guptill said. “It’s not often we get to play in Australia in one-day cricket.” For New Zealand, it would seem like a decent time to try and win their first ODI series in Australia and retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy they have held since 2017 when the teams last played a bilateral series. The trophy was up for grabs at the 2017 Champions Trophy but the match was abandoned and it was decided not to compete for it at last year’s World Cup.”I think it’s irrelevant who they put on the park, they always present a very good challenge,” David Warner said. “In one-day cricket and T20 they are very disciplined in what they do, led by a world-class player and gentleman in Kane (Williamson). He knows a lot of our players inside out, I’m sure they’ll bowl to their specific plans and when with the bat they’ll know what to do.”The revival of Australia’s ODI form has hit the buffers with five defeats in a row following their ten-wicket win against India in Mumbai. While it is the middle-order that is coming in for most of the debate, Warner believes it is down to one of the top four to make sure they bat through the innings.”The only thing I can put it down to is the top four not scoring the bulk of the runs,” Warner said. “You can’t do it all the time but at least one of us has to go on and be there at the end. It is disappointing but at the end of the day we’ve got to keep trying to get better at that, try to find a balance with our batting through the middle as well.”Matthew Wade, who did not get a game in South Africa as he continues to wait for his first ODI since 2017, said Australia could take a leaf out of their book with the way a new-look batting order went about their work.”[South Africa] had a lot of guys out and quite an inexperienced team and they did the basics a lot better than we did. They had guys get hundreds and bat the whole way through. We’ve got to strip it back and make sure we’re doing the basics really, really well in this series. New Zealand are a very disciplined cricket team and we know they will do it well.”We’ve got to make sure one of the top four really bats through and makes a big hundred and in Australia we back our power towards the end on pretty true wickets. It’ll be nice to see if one of the top order can go through and bat the whole innings, that would be very helpful.”There is the extra motivation for Australia in trying to go through the home summer unbeaten. They won five of the six T20Is against Sri Lanka and Pakistan (and would have won the other in Sydney but for rain), then swept the Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand 5-0. Life on the road over the last few weeks has been tougher, but these two games in Sydney followed by the final match in Hobart next week stand between them and a first unbeaten summer since 2009-10.”We always want to win on home soil no matter how well we’ve been going,” Warner said. “The priority is to win every game at home, there’s no excuses, you have a lot of stuff in your favour.”
A player is "doing everything he can" to quit Leeds United in the summer, and it is believed he's already bought a house in another country.
Leeds chasing promotion in exciting Championship top-two race
2023/2024 has been one of the most exciting Premier League promotion races in recent memory, as three Championship high-flyers battle it out for an automatic spot in world football's most prestigious division.
Report shares concerning off-field news out of Leeds United on Archie Gray
He’s been catching the eye.
ByCharlie Smith Apr 3, 2024
Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Leeds are neck-and-neck with barely anything separating the trio as we head into the final few games of the campaign, and a place in the top two is really anyone's for the taking.
Kieran McKenna's Ipswich hold a slender two-point advantage at the top of the tree as things stand, while Leicester sit just one point behind them in second. Leeds trail the pair in third but only by a single point right now, and a lot will depend on the result of Leicester's game against West Brom early this afternoon.
Leeds United 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
Leeds United 0-0 Sunderland
Coventry City 2-1 Leeds United
Leeds United 3-1 Hull City
Watford 2-2 Leeds United
Even if Enzo Maresca's Foxes beat the Baggies, Leeds will still only be two points off an automatic spot by the time they face Middlesbrough on Monday, so Whites boss Daniel Farke has every hope that he can secure his side's place back in the big time.
"We are in a privileged position and we want to use it," said Farke ahead of Leeds' crunch clash with Boro.
"We are having a top-class season with a remarkable points tally. We [have been] by far the best team in the second half of the season. We are more or less leading this league. The lads are playing a fantastic season.
"Our last line-up: [Illan] Meslier, experienced but young. [Joe] Rodon and [Ethan] Ampadu – our rivals are more experienced. [Ilia] Gruev and [Archie] Gray – our rivals have more experience. Our attackers, [Crysencio] Summerville, 21, [Willy] Gnonto 20, [Georginio] Rutter 22 and [Joel] Piroe 24 – our rivals have more experience. I don't want to buy success – I want to build for success. I don't want to be in the Premier League for one year spending money and then being out of it for 10 years. We want to be there for a long, long time."
If Leeds do secure promotion, they'll have a few decisions to make on wantaway players, and one of them is versatile defender Marc Roca.
Roca doing "everything he can" to leave Leeds this summer
The Spaniard, currently thriving on a loan spell at Real Betis, has made 24 La Liga appearances under Manuel Pellegrini – bagging two goals and two assists to boot.
Roca didn't have a great time at Leeds last season when they were relegated from the top flight, and the possibility of him being reintroduced at Elland Road is waning by the week. Indeed, according to reports in Spain, Roca is doing "everything he can" to leave Leeds for Betis permanently, and it is believed he's already bought a house in the country.
The report says it is increasingly likely that the 27-year-old will be a Betis player next term, so Roca may well have played his last game in Yorkshire already.
كشف عاطف حنفي، مدير الكرة بنادي فاركو، عن تفاصيل مفاوضات الزمالك لضم اللاعب الصاعد محمود جهاد، ويرد على الأنباء المتداولة حول إمكانية انتقال نجم الأهلي علي معلول إلى صفوف الفريق السكندري.
وقال عاطف حنفي، في تصريحات عبر إذاعة “ميجا إف إم”: “هل تعثرت مفاوضات الزمالك لضم محمود جهاد؟ لا يوجد تعثر، أنا أمتلك لاعبًا دوليًا، ومن خلال خبرتي على مدار 40 سنة أؤكد أنه من أفضل اللاعبين الذين يلعبون في مراكز 6 و6.5 و8 بنفس الهدوء والكفاءة”.
وتابع: “محمود جهاد لاعب شاب مواليد 2001، واكتسب خبرة وعنده شغف، ويُقدم مستوى جيد هذا الموسم، وكان يمتلك عروضًا من أندية داخل مصر وخارجها، لكن هناك توقيت نختار فيه خروج لاعب وأوقات نتمسك به، فعندما يأتي العرض المناسب ويتوفر البديل سنوافق على رحيله”.
طالع أيضًا | وكيله: ما فعله الزمالك مع الجزيري “غريب”.. وننهي إجراءات التجديد
وأضاف: “بالفعل كان هناك حديث عن محمود جهاد، لكن الأرقام التي عُرضت لم تكن تساوي قيمته السوقية، ولا تساوي القيمة السوقية لأي لاعب في فاركو، حيث أننا نمتلك لاعبين واعدين يُمكنهم اللعب لأي ناد في مصر”.
وبسؤاله، هل عرضتم على علي معلول الانضمام إلى فاركو ولو فترة مؤقتة؟، أجاب: “لا، لم يحدث بهذا الشكل، معلول لاعب كبير ومتميز وأحد قادة فريق الأهلي، لكن الكلام لم يكن كذلك، وكيل اللاعب هو جون إدوارد، وهو في الوقت نفسه عضو في مجلس إدارة فاركو، وارد أن يكون حدث كلام بينهما، لكن لم يصل الأمر إلى انضمامه لفريقنا، وارد أنها كانت مجرد فكرة”.
Chelsea have announced the signing of USMNT left-back Caleb Wiley from MLS side Atlanta United.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
West Ham United right-back Ben Johnson is out of contract at the end of the current season, which means that, as it stands, he'll be leaving as a free agent come 1 July.
Hammers sporting director Tim Steidten is pushing to keep him at the London Stadium, but members of the club hierarchy have expressed reluctance to hold further talks after seeing the Englishman reject two offers.
Johnson may still end up staying with the Irons, but at this stage, his team have a responsibility to start assessing potential replacements, and one candidate for the role has already emerged.
According to transfer insider Dean Jones, West Ham are one of the sides "checking out" Tiago Santos at Lille as interest in the youngster grows ahead of the summer transfer window. They're not the only Premier League side in the race, though, with Aston Villa and Spurs admirers too.
In an article for Sports Lens, Jones reports that Santos was expected to spend more time in France after his £5.5m move from Estoril last summer, but his progression up the football ladder may now be accelerated. There's a feeling that his price tag will "take off" if he's allowed to remain with the Ligue 1 club for too long.
West Ham have been keeping "a close eye" on talent in the French top tier and are impressed by Santos' "skill set and potential to push himself higher". They appear to be more sure on the Portuguese defender than Spurs, who may lean towards a more "versatile defender" instead.
Santos, who's now a Portugal under-21 international after making his debut in September, has played 28 games for Lille so far in all competitions. He's currently enjoying a joint-season-best run of five straight league starts, and has begun 10 of the last 12 overall, so his value to the team is clearly growing.
Latest West Ham United injury news, return dates and suspensions
FFC keeps you up to date with all the latest West Ham United news involving injuries and suspensions.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
May 10, 2024
After opening his account for the club with a "special" strike in a 2-0 win over Lyon in late November, he got on the scoresheet again in a remarkable 12-0 win over Martinique champions Golden Lion in the French Cup last month.
|
Ligue 1 – most fouls drawn 23/24 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Club |
Tot. |
|
1 |
Teji Savanier |
Montpellier |
54 |
|
2 |
Tiago Santos |
Lille |
50 |
|
3 |
Dilane Bakwa |
Strasbourg |
49 |
|
4 |
Romain Faivre |
Lorient |
47 |
|
5 |
Romain Del Castillo |
Brest |
44 |
Described as a "complete" full-back by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Santos combines effective chance creation (he's in the 71st percentile for expected assisted goals among right-backs) with an enthusiastic approach to defending (he's in the 80th percentile for tackles).
His standout attribute, however, is his dribbling – he ranks 10th in the league for successful take-ons with 39 and only one player, Montpellier's Teji Savanier, has drawn more fouls. A tricky little player, he could be a smart long-term addition for David Moyes or indeed whichever manager is in the hotseat next season.
Everton finally received a verdict this week on their appeal regarding their Financial Fair Play charge earlier this season, which led to a deduction of 10 points. That verdict was mostly a positive one with the Toffees' deduction taken from 10 to six points, leaving them five points clear of the Premier League's relegation zone. And since then, they've been handed a further boost by the fitness of Dele Alli, who could now get a new contract at Goodison Park.
Dele Alli update
Struggling with injuries and difficult issues away from the pitch, Alli is finally on course to eventually make his return to action. The England international revealed in an open interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap the troubles that he has been facing away from the game, detailing his traumatic upbringing and his problems ever since, much to the shock of the football world.
Sean Dyche spoke about the timeline of Alli's return back in December, saying via The Guardian: "He still has a bit to go because he has been out for a long time, he needs a game programme, but to get him back with us would be really pleasing for him because he has been so unlucky.
"The last time, 12-13 weeks ago when he was going to join in, he was so unlucky with the damage that was done. But the good news is that everything is settling down and he is feeling good. I saw him earlier and he said: ‘I’m feeling great.’”
Now, almost three months later, the former Spurs star has reportedly taken a significant step towards a return. According to Patrick Boyland of The Athletic, Alli is back at Finch Farm to step up his rehabilitation, and Everton are now open to offering him a new contract at the club with a return to action before the end of the season not ruled out.
It is more likely he returns in pre-season, with his return to the club's training ground only the first major step towards full fitness and participation in full training still some way off, but nonetheless it is great news for Alli and Toffees fans that he is finally close to doing what he loves most.
777 Partners: Net worth, Everton takeover latest, football clubs, owner
FFC has all you need to know about Everton’s prospective new owners.
ByMark Marston Feb 28, 2024
Before anything, however, Everton will have to negotiate a way past the reported £10m fee that they will owe Spurs if Alli reaches 20 appearances for the Merseyside club. Having already made 13 appearances, those at Goodison Park will see their financial troubles dealt another blow if they fail to renegotiate their deal with Spurs and Alli reaches 20 appearances.
Alli could yet rediscover best form
Whilst it remains to be seen whether Alli will be able to kick on at Everton upon his return to fitness, there's no doubting the player that they'll have on their hands if he does rediscover his best form.
Still yet to secure their safety, having a player who once stood alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the history books could go a long way in not only keeping Everton up but also potentially taking them onto bigger and better things in the Premier League.